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A novel approach for classifying protruding ears is easy to calculate and implement in daily clinical practice
José A Lopes-Santos1,2, Constantino Martins3, José M La Fuente2
1Department of Paediatric Surgery, Centro Hospitalar do Porto (CHP)/Centro Materno Infantil do Norte (CMIN), Porto, Portugal.
Insights
A new measurement, the Frontal Aesthetics Translation Index for Measurement of Amplitude of the Ears (FATIMAE), objectively classifies protruding ears using frontal facial images. This index aids in clinical assessment and surgical referral for ear protrusion.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Deformities
Background:
- Protruding ears affect 5% of children, lacking a simple digital classification method.
- Objective measurement is needed for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an objective photographic parameter for classifying ear protrusion.
- To compare frontal facial images of patients with protruding ears to age-matched controls.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study included 105 patients with protruding ears and 112 controls.
- A rectangle was used to measure ear width and height on frontal images.
- The Frontal Aesthetics Translation Index for Measurement of Amplitude of the Ears (FATIMAE) was calculated as width/height ratio.
Main Results:
- Patients with protruding ears had significantly higher FATIMAE values than controls.
- No significant gender differences were observed in FATIMAE values.
- FATIMAE values decreased with age, necessitating age-specific classification criteria.
Conclusions:
- FATIMAE offers a simple, objective method for classifying ear protrusion.
- This index can be readily implemented in clinical practice for diagnosis and surgical referral.
- FATIMAE provides practical referral criteria for specialized surgical consultation.
Aim:
Protruding ears are a prevalent deformity, with a reported incidence of 5% in the paediatric population, but it lacks a simple digital classification. The aim of this study was to find a parameter that would objectively allow the photographic classification of protrusion, by comparing frontal facial images of patients with protruding ears with aged-matched controls.
Methods:
This prospective cohort study compared the frontal facial images of 105 patients with protruding ears with 112 aged-matched controls without protruding ears. A rectangle was drawn on the image for each ear, encompassing its full visible anatomy. The width of each rectangle was divided by its height to create an index. The mean value of both ears was defined as the Frontal Aesthetics Translation Index for Measurement of Amplitude of the Ears (FATIMAE).
Results:
The calculated values for group with protruding ears were significantly higher than for the controls. No gender differences were found. However, the FATIMAE values decreased with age, establishing different classification criteria for separate age groups.
Conclusion:
The FATIMAE is easy to calculate and implement in daily clinical practice and establishes a practical approach for classification of protrusion, as well as for referral criteria for a specialised surgical consultation.